Bigotry Determined Webster’s New
World Dictionary defines “bigot” as “a person who holds blindly and
intolerantly to a particular creed, opinion, etc.” and “bigotry” as “the
behavior, attitude, or beliefs of a bigot.”

Police State Thomas Kachadurian’s column might get the facts right but misses the story.

Oppose The Shell Game Is this a
Shell Game? As a Democrat, I support increased taxes on motor fuels and
vehicles to provide funding for our transportation infrastructure.

Sugars On The Way Senator Patrick
Colbeck from Canton introduced a bill and the Senate passed it allowing
schools and Girl & Boy Scout troops to have up to 3 bake sales per
week.

Graham A. Parsons

Going Round with Graham A. ParsonsBy Kristi KatesSelf-taught Upper Peninsula singer-songwriter Graham A. Parsons got anearly - and heavy-metal - introduction to music while he was still inhis teens.My older brother, Ben, got into music when I was 13 or so, Parsonsexplains, he started a band with some buddies early on, and I got towatch it develop. I remember them learning Guns and Roses and AC/DCtunes, but their singer was terrible. One time I asked if I could trysinging a song, and I did, briefly, before the singer ripped the micfrom my tiny hands and told me I didnt know what I was doing. I guessfrom there on out, I had a bit of a vocal vendetta - something toprove.

GUITAR MEETS VOCALSParsons, lauded state-wide today for his towering vocal abilities andstrong guitar skills (take that, mediocre metal singer), began his ownguitar-playing journey with a small student guitar, on which hed tryto play classic rock songs.Stairway to Heaven was one of the first I learned - although I cantrecall any of it now, he laughs. For Parsons, though, decipheringother peoples music quickly led to him writing his own songs. Inever really even thought about it, he recalls, it just happened.Another influence - besides his brothers well-intentioned attempts ata band - were his parents, whom Parsons says always had great musicplaying in the house.I owe them a lot for those great influences, he says, most notably,The Beatles and the Motown family. I unconsciously learned about popsongwriting structure from The Beatles, and admired the incrediblevoices that came from the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye.I remember trying to replicate the sounds they produced - all with asqueaky prepubescent voice.

CRETINS TO GO ROUNDSBy the time Graham was 16, he was playing three-set gigs at varioussmoky U.P. dive bars across the Keweenaw Peninsula, eventuallysegueing into being co-founder of Michigan-based band the SqueakyClean Cretins. Two full-length albums later, the Cretins had becomemore of a seasonal, or summer band for Parsons and crew. This would bethe beginning of that bands end.We only really played three or four months out of the year, heexplains, the rest of the time we were separated by 600 miles. By theend of last summer, the Cretins were playing as a three or four pieceas opposed to a five or six piece, and things just werent verycohesive. We werent all on the same page as far as overallwillingness to play whenever, wherever; so it was never really aband in the true sense of the word.But Parsons wouldnt remain band-less for long.Soon, he began playing music with the members of what is now Graham A.Parsons and the Go Rounds, and it didnt take long for most of us torealize what needed to happen, he says.Parsons shared his now extensive back catalog of songs with the band,and the group added a bunch of newer tunes as well. It was non-stoplearning for the first few months, building a repertoire, heexplains. In that sense, the band has been a vehicle for my songs,but Ive never tried to stifle the other members influence on them.They play the songs with a strong sense of respect for their core, butadd a fire to the arrangements.Currently, Parsons and the Go Rounds all live in the same town (mostof us in the same house, he chuckles), and, as Parsons puts it,were all recklessly in love with music and know what we want to dowith it.Its an incredible feeling, he says.

TREKKING TO CHARLEVOIXGraham A. Parsons and the Go Rounds are now set to perform as part ofthe Black Cat Concert series in Charlevoix, with even more new songsand their own eclectic blend of styles.Our music is comprised of folkish songs, presented in a verynon-folkish way, Parsons explains, the acoustic guitar has a strongpresence, but the arrangements have electronic, psychedelic, rock nroll, and jazz influences.Parsons bandmates are contributing more and more of their influences,as well, as time goes on for this talented group.Recently weve been adding more tunes by our keyboardist, AndyCatlin, and guitarist Gitis Baggs, Parsons says. (The other membersof the Go Rounds are bassist Tod Kloosterman and drummer Adam Danis.)Weve also just started feeling out song ideas as a band atrehearsals, he continues, someone will start a riff and well alljump in and see where it goes. Im sure all songwriting avenues willbe heavily traversed.In addition to his work with the Go Rounds, Parsons recently releasedhis very first solo album, which hes entitled Farmhand.I recorded it last summer between my home in the Keweenaw Peninsulaand my home in Kalamazoo, he says. It features many of my favoriteMichigan instrumentalists and friends, but none of the Go Rounds. Weplay many of the cuts from the album when we perform live though. TheGo Rounds have a new live album of their own, too, and will be playingthose songs live.Its all part of Parsons ongoing growth as a musician full of potential:I think fans can expect to hear a more mature and dynamicpresentation of my songwriting. There has been much growth over thepast year, and the music will put it on display.

Graham A. Parsons and the Go Rounds will be performing as part of theBlack Cat Concerts Series in Charlevoix on Thursday, August 5 at 8p.m. For tix ($15), visitwww.blackcatconcerts.com; for more info on the band, visitwww.grahamaparsons.com. Other Northern Michigan shows for the bandwill include stops at Dunegrass (August 6) and at Shorts Brewery inBellaire on August 7.